Oil burner and control means



April 27 1926.

C. W. STANCLIFF'E OIL BURNER AND CONTROL MEANS Filed Dec. 4la, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 1 April 27,1926.

C. W. STANCLIFFE OIL BURNER AND CONTROL MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 18. 1922 force actuating such means, the pressure f generated in the air which is supplied to Patented Apr. 27, 1926-.

CECIL W. STANCLIFFE, OF NEW YORK, N.

vPATE orrics.

Y., ASSIGNOR TO VALVELESS OIL BURNER ,CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OIL BURNER AND CONTROL MEANS.

Application led December To all who-m t may con/cem.'

Be it known that I, CECIL W. STANCLUFE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Oil Burners and Control Means, of which the following is a specification. i

The'present invention relates to 011 burners, and accessory appliances for regulating the flame at the burner, and safeguarding against danger of oversupply, or flooding, of the burner with oil, from any cause.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a burner and accessory appliances of simple character, capable of being 'readily installed at small expense in connection with domestic steam boilers, or water heat.

ers or the like, already in service, as well as with entirely new equipment. Inv thus stating this object, I have not intended to imply any limitation 1n the scope of usefulness of the invent-ion, for it is applicable to all purposes which require the eneration of heat by combustion of fuel; ut my intent is to point especially to the fact that the invention is particularly well adapted for domestic uses and to relieve the householder of the troubles and inconvenlences due to heating his dwelling by coal.

/ Another object is 4.to control accurately and delicately, according to the demand for heat, the pressure and quantity of oil fuel.

fed to the burner, and to shut oi the oil feed entirely when liability occurs 'of the burner being flooded; providing automatic means for the purpose, and -using as the vsupport combustion. A part of this object is to utilize such air pressure as the actuating force, under thermostatic control, for the automatic regulation of the fuel feed;

and an allied object is to combine the pro- Y visions for automatic shutting ofi' of the fuel, with a regulation of the ire by any means,

whether automatic or manual, and whether the auto-matic regulation is vgoverned by temperatures by pressure, or otherwlse A Afurther object is to provide a fire pot of improved design, having greater eiii- 18, 1922. Serial No. 607,624.

ciency and ability to maintain a lower fire than those heretofore known, and which is of general application for burning oil fuel, and may be made of any desired size and capacity. p

. Another object is to provide a burner or mixerV for supplying air and oil to the tire pot, which burner is capable of a wide range of regulation to cont-rol the volume and intensity of the flame, and is capable of being taken apart, with the minimum of diiiiculty and complication, for cleaning and other purposes.

The invention compnises apparatus, means and provisions adapted to accomplish the above stated objects, and others related or incidental thereto, which can best be stated and explained in connection with a detailed description of specific structures embodying the principles of the invention. Such detailed explanation and description is given in the following specification with reference to the drawings accompanyingthe same and referred to therein.'

In the drawings, v

Figure 1 is a view somewhat diagrammatic in character, and showing partly in elevation and partly in section, a complete combination of fire pot, burner, oil and air supplying means, and regulating and controlling means.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the burner, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, but on a larger scale.

.Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the burner on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and an adjustment thereof, which produces tangential Alow of air` Figure 4.- is a perspective view showing a `detail of the burner.

Figure 5 is a plan, and Figure 6 an elevation, of one form of lire pot embodying my invention.

Figures 7 and '8 are cross-sections on line 7-7 and line 8 8, respectively, of this fire pot.

Figure 9. is a plan, and' Figure 10 an elevation, of another form of fire pot.

Figures 1l, 12-and 13 are cross-sections on lines l1--11, 12-12, and 155-13, respectively of Figure 10.

Before proceeding with the detailed description, I should say that while I have spoken of oil as the fuel to be burned and regulated by the appliances of my invention, and although in the following descrip tion I shall generally refer to this fue-l as oil, nevertheless, my claim to protection is not limited bythe character of the fuel mentioned, but on the contrary, the term oil as here used, is typical and illustrative of any liquid 'fuel which may be controlled and burned with the aid of my apparatus.

Referring first to Figure 1, 11 represents the oil supply tank, from which oil is conducted by pipe 12, leading from the bottom of the tank to a controller, which is indicated as a whole at 13. An air compressor of thc rotary blower type is shown at`14, driven by electric motor 15, to supply air under pressure for supporting combustion of the o-il at the burner. From the controller 13 oil asses through a pipe 16, and air from the blower passes through a pipe 17, to a burner 18, where a mixture of oil and air takes place and is ignited; and the burning mix ture is delivered into a fire pot or furnace 19, wherein combustion of the fuel proceeds, and from which the products of combustion pass to heat the boiler or water heater, or whatever else the apparatus is arranged to heat.

Oil supply merma.

In the form shown in Figure 1, the tank when in operation is entirely closed and sealed against admission of air, except through the pipe 12. It maybe provided with suitable provisions for filling, such as a nozzle 20 in its top, but when illed, and the burner put in operation, such opening 1s tightly closed to prevent inflow of air. Hence oil can pass from the tank only as air is allowed to enter it through the pipe 12, under the control of the regulator or controller 13, as will be presently described. The pipe 12 is made large en ough in diameter to permit free course of air into the tank past and through the oil.

Air compressor.

This element of the combination is indicated as a rotary blower of familiar type,l and therefore is not illustrated in complete detail. The rotary blower or fan type of compressor is preferred to others on account of its simple construction and ability to operate with a minimum of attention and repair; as also because it may be run at high speed in direct connection with4 an electric driving motor. However, instead of such a blower, I may use a reciprocating pump; and in place of the electric motor, I ma use any one of a number of other types o motor, such as one impelled by water, a hot air engine, an internal combustion engine, etc. No reat pressure is required to be develope in the air provided for the purposes of this invention, and I have found that a pressure equal to a head of three inches of oil is suicient for my purposes. Of course, however, as circumstances may require a higher or lower air pressure, I may provide a proper character of compressor and drive it at the proper speed to obtain whatever pressure may be needed.

Gontroller or regulator.

This part of the apparatus controls the pressure under which oil is fed to the burner and the quantity of air supplied to support combustion, and causes the oil feed to be shut oiil when the fire is extinguished, or when the air supply fails or ceases, or in case excessive quantities of oil should be delivered from the primary tank 11. This controller maybe governed in its action by any one of several different means, including manual control, either entirely or in association with automatic control, a thermostat operated by the temperature existing in some part of the building to be heated, or pressure controlled means connected to the boiler or heater.

The construction of such controller comprises the following elements, which may however be embodied in various different siecific forms and arran ements. An ,u right tube 21, of any desired shape and imensions in cross-section, has a lateral inlet 22, to which the supply ipe 12 is coupled. Beside the tube 21 is a c amber 23, having a connection at a level lower than the inlet, indicated by the opening at 24, with the interior of the tube. Both the tube and chamber are closed by a bottom wall 25, from which a standard 26 rises to a height slightl below the lower side of the inlet 22. In tie upper end of the Standard 26 is a valve seat 27 from which a passage 28 leads to a passage 29 in the bottom wall The oil pipe 16 previously mentioned is connected to one end of passage 29., the other end of which is closed. In the upper part of the tube 21 is a vent opening 30, through which the atmospheric air can freely pass into and out of the interior of the tube.

On top of the tube is mounted a diaphragm chamber structure comprised by separable lower and upper members 31 and In the chamber formed within these memi bers is a rigid partition 33, dividing the interior space into a lower chamber 34, wherein is located the diaphragm 35, and an up er chamber 36, over which is arran ed a iaphragm 37. Conveniently, each iaphragm is made of a rigid plate, and a band of flexible material connecting the periphery of the plate with the walls of theV chamber` such flexible material being indicated at 38 and 39. T he lower diaphragm has a considerably greater' range of movement than the upper diaphragm, the movement of which latter is or may be very slight. A rod 40 passes freely through both diaphragme and carries an adjustable nut or collar 4l, which is adapted to rest on the diaphragm 35, and a similar adjustable nut or collar 42 which is adapted' to rest on diaphragm 37. Thus when either diaphragm is raised by air pressure, as presently described, it raises the rod and draws o. pushes the latter through the other diaphragm, whenever, as is usually the case, the diaphragmsdo not operate in unison.

The lower end of rod 40 is connected by a pin 43 with a sleeve, 44, which fits freely within the tube 21, andfwhen in its lowered position, closes the opening orport in the side of the tube through which vthe oil pipe opens. While this sleeve fits so freely in the tube that it slides up and down without appreciable resistance, at the same time, its sides are sol close to the walls of the tube, that a film of oil is retained by capillarity or surface tension in the intervening space, so as to serve as a seal preventing leakage of air around the outside of the sleeve. This sleeve is open at top and 1 bottom, and throughout its length,rbut it carries at its lower end a spider or skeleton wall 45, from which is suspended a valve 46 complemental to the seat 27.

Returning `to the vdiaphragm chamber structure, there are formed lin the members or parts thereof, a, passage 47 which opens into `the diaphragm chamber 36, a passage 48 which leads from the latter chamber, and a passage 49 which extends rom'the .passage 48 into the chamber 34, below the diaghragm 35. A valve member 50 is arranged to move across the end of passage 48, andto seat over the entrance orice of passage 49, so as to open or close said passages. Such valve is shown here as being the core oia solenoid 51, which is connected in circuit with a source of electric current as a battery 52, and thermostatically o eratedY lcontacts 53. The arrangement is suc that when the con- Y tacts are brought together by lowering of temperature in the room where lthe thermostat is located, IFhe core-valve will be raised so as to open the passage 48, and when the contacts are si parated by rise of temperature, the core-valve will descend and largely or Wholly obstruct the passage.

This thermostatically controlled device typifies any means which may be provided for permitting, stopping, andregulating the flow of air from chamber 36 to chamber 34. In place of a magnetically operated valve for this purpose, I may use a pneumatically operated one .under control of a thermallygovernedl pneumatic regulating system.

Temperature controlled regulators operated i by air ,pressure are well known, and I may description are not intended to ylimit my invention in this regard.

A lever 54 is pivoted at 55 to a bracket on the diaphragm chamber structure. One arm, 54 of this lever, bears on the nut or coll'ar 42, and the other. arm 54" is connected by a link 56 with an arm 57, which controls a damper 58 in the air pipe 17. An arm 59, carrying a weight 59a is pivoted on the pivot 55 and carries a lug `or short arm 60, adalpted to press on the lever arm 54. When the latter arm is depressed to the position which it occupies when sleeve 44 is lowered to the fullest extent, and Valve 46 is closed, the weighted arm 59 is inclined so that its leverage overbalances the upward thrust of diaphragm 37, due to air pressure in chamber 36, whereby valve 46 is held in the seated position; but when the arm is placed in more nearly, upright position, and specifically, the position corresponding to the raised position of the diaphragm, the force which it exerts with tendency to cloze the valve is less than the force in the opposite direction exerted through the diaphragm 37' by the air at normal service pressure, whereby the diaphragm will be held up, and the valve held open, so long as air at service pressure is supplied to chamber 36. A stop 61 on the pivot-holding-bracket arrests -the arm before it has been swung beyond the head center, so that it isalways potentially oper,- ative to swin over and press down on the god and diap ragni when the air pressure ails.

'A pipe 62 extends from the 'entrance to passage 47 into the chamber 23 and terminates in an open end located-at a level below the valve seat 27, its exact vertical distance below this seat being established .in proportion to the pressure imposed on the air supplied to the burner, so that the pressure head of the highest normal column ofY oil'in tube 21 above the lower orifice of pipe 62 is slightly less than the air pressure. Thus normally the air pressure, which is conducted to chamber 23 by means presently to be described, depresses the oil level in this chamber far yenough to leave the pipe orifice clear, but an abnormal height o oil in tube 21 overbalances the air rassure and causes oil in this tube to flow into thechamber 23 and seal the orifice of pipe 62. lt is to be understood that chamber 23.is closed, and has no communication with the outer air, except thatestablished' by the pipe line connections leading to it from the air con-y duit 17, which will now be described.

The connections comprise a pipe 63 issuing from any convenient point in the air los conduit 17 between the blower and the damper 58, a trap 64, and a pipe 65 leading from the trap to the upper part of chamber 23. Trap 6i is a closed casing having an interior partition 66, extending from its top nearly to the bottom, and dividing its interior into compartments 67 and 68. The pipes 63 and 65 open into the compartment 67, the pipe 63 near the top of this compartment, and the pipe 65 at a low enough level to be sealed when oil rises in compartment 67, but at the same time high enough to be uncovered when the'oil in this compartment is depressed by a suiiicient pressure of air. A pipe 69 extends from the upper end of compartment 68 into connection with the fire pot (as shown in Figures l, 5 and 6.) at a low point in the latter, but at a level above the IStrap, and imposes on the oil in compartment 68 the pressure head of oil which accumulates in the fire pot when the tire goes out and oil continues to flow. iVhen flooding of the tire pot from this cause commences, the oil head acting in compartment 68 quickly becomes greater than the air pressure, and so causes rise of the oil level in compartment 67 far enough to seal the lower end ot pipe 65. The normal air pressure overcomes the normal oil head in pipe 69, and free communication exists through the compartment 67 between pipes 63 and 65, so long as the oil delivered to the tire t is burning.

' In explaining the operation of thc controller just described, it will be assumed iii-st that there is no fire, and that the' blower is not running, wherefore both the stop valve 46 and the sleeve valve 44 are closed. It may be assumed, however, that the thermostatically operated valve 50 is open, due to low temperature conditions requiring the fire to be started. To start the tire, the operator Sets the blower in operation and places burning kindling in the lire pot. He then throws the weighted armv 59 over into I the position where the leverage of weight 59a is less than enough to overbalance the service air pressure on diaphragm 37. Air pressure having now been created by the action of the blower, air Hows through the pipe 63, trap 6ft, pipe 65, chamber 23 and pipe 62, to the diaphragm chamber 36, where it raises the diaphragm 37 and so opens valve 46 and holds it open. The oil which occupies pipe 21 above valve seat Q7 now flows .othe burner and is lighted. The air passing into diaphragm chamber 34 raises diaphragm 35 and lifts the sleeve valve 44. The lposition of the lower end ot this sleeve valve governs the height of the oil columnl in pipe 21, because air flowing through the sleeve and up to the tank l1, allows oil to flow down through pipe 1Q until it rises'in pipe 21 to the lower edge of the sleeve, when it prevents further ow ot air and is prevented by the partial vacuum in tank 1l from rising any higher. The utmost limit to which oil can thus nornially rise is that established by the upper edge of the lateral opening in the pipe.- From the oil column in pipe 2l a gravity feed ot oil to the burncr occurs, bccause the head oit this column is under atmospheric pressure. .f\.ccording, then, as the. slccvc valve is raised or lowi-rcd. the pressure head under which oil is forced to the burner, is relatively high or low. and the lire is correspondingly controlled. At the same time that the oil pressure head is raised by risc ot' tlu` diaphragm 36, the quantity oll air dclivered to the furnace is increased by operation ot the damper 58 through levcr 5land link 56. Nowfwhen the room temperature, vwhere the thermostat is installed, has risen to the desired point, said thermostat causes valve 5() to be closed, which shuts oilI air pressure from chamber 34, whereby thc sleeve valve is allowed to descend and thc air damper 58 partially closed.v 'lhus at the same tin'ie, the oil head is lowered and the air tiow to the furnace is checked in proportion whereby the tire is diminished. This action ot the sleeve valve and damper is permitted by reason of a veut 7l in the wall ot' diaphragm chamber 34, which vent has less capacity' than the passages previously described, but greater capacity than any leakage which my take place past valve 40 when closed, whereby the pressure previously existing in this chamber escapes and diaphragm 35 is no longer held up. It may be noted also that there is a vent passage 72 through the valve rod el() to its outer end from a point between diaphragm 35 and partition 33. which relieves any pressure which may leak through or around the diaphragm 35.

It by oversigl-it or accident, the tank ll should not be tightly closed, or should leak, so that flooding of the pipe Q1 would occur,

the rise of oil duc to such flooding, creates a head above the orifice ot pipe 62, greater than the air pressure head, which causes oil to rise in chamber 23 and seal pipe 62, thus shutting oit1 air altogether from both diaphragm chambers and allowing their diaphragms to drop and the stop valve 46 to be closed, thus altogether shutting oft the oil feed. Escape of air from chamber 36 to permit this action,is permitted by a vent 73 similar to the vent 7l, and opening trom any desired point in the chamber 36. Or if the fire should be extinguished, without the oil supply being otherwise cut ori', the flooding of the re pot which then occurs, will cause the entrance orifice of pipe 65 to be sealed, which likewise will sluit ofi:l the air flow to the diaphragm chambers, and allow the stop valve 46 to be closed. Failure of the air supply due to stoppage of the Thus, when the fire is to be put out intentionally, the operator need only stop the blower. f

Burner.

The burner or mixer which I prefer to use in this combinationembodies the venturi principle of entrainment of fluid by air flow; and, further, is designed as to its mechanical construction with the object of permitting easy assembling and disassembling ot its parts, and of providing adjustments by which to regulate the entraining effect and the proportions of air and oil. It comprises an outer casing 74 which is attached to the fire pot casing, or is integral therewith, and to one side of which is connected a branch tube 7 5 telescoping into the end of air conduit 17, or otherwise associated therewith by means of a slip joint which permits ready assembling and disassembling. Casing 7 4 is open at its outer end, and in it is fitted a shell or hollow cylinder 76 having a head 77 with an outer lip 78, to limit itspenetration into the casing, and to provide means by which it may be rotated. In the side of this cylinder is a port 79 which registers with the opening of branch' tube 75, and is adapted to be shifted by rotation more or less out of registry with said branch. Adjacent to its inner end, the cylinder is provided with an interior constriction forming a Venturi tube. In its preferred form,

the constriction is made by a Venturi tube proper 80, which is secured by a set 'screw 80n in a cylindrical outer, or holder, sleeve 81, the latter fitting and'held frictionally in cylinder 76. The bore of the Venturi tube is tapered from both ends to a zone of minimum diameter intermediate the ends.

face of the tube 80, or the inner surface of sleeve 81, or partly in both, to provide auxiliary air passages as later described. The head 77 of the cylinder has a guide'way A82 of substantial length, in which there is fitted slidingly a tube 83. This tube is extended to form a nozzle 84, the orifice of which is within the Venturi tube 81. On the outer end of the tube 82 is a cage 85, which is open on one side at least, and in which is inserted a block 86 attached to the bent-over-end 87 of the oil pipe 16. This block may be moved into or out of the cage 85, pipe 16 being sufficiently flexible, or having a flexible section, to permit these movements, as well as the adjusting movements of the nozzle, later described. On one end of block 86is a cone 88 which fits` acomplemental socket in the outerendl ol" tube 83, which socket is in continuationof the bore 89 of said tube; while from the end of the cone, a passage 90 extends through the block to the bore of oil tube 16. Y A screw7 91 is' threaded through the outer end wall of cage 85 and presses on the block 86, so as to hold its cone in tight contact with the entrance to the bore 89, whereby connection is made from the oil pipe to the nozzle 84.

Disconnection of the oil pipe from the nozzle is effected simply by loosenin the abutment screw 91 withdrawing the lock from the cage. Then the nozzle can be wholly removed by slipping it out of the guideway 82. Also the cylinder 76 may be slipped endwise out of` casing 74. Thus all the parts of the burner may be readily taken apart for cleaning, and assembled without even requiring the aid of tools.

When the parts are assembled, adjustment of the nozzle is permitted by moving it in orv out, whereby its orifice may be placed either in the narrowest zone of the Venturi tube, or more or less in front or back of such zone. According to its position, the entraining effect of the air flowing past it is varied, whereby more or less oil is emitted. Then by rotating the cylinder 76, the port opening through which air may flow into it is more or less restricted, and the direction of flow is altered. This latter function is an im ortant one', as it results in a remarkable c aracter of control of the flame. When the port 79 is in full register with the branch tube, the air flow is radial, but by turning the cylinder1 so that one edge of the port more or less overlaps one side of the entrance passage (as shown in Figure 3), the direction of air flow ,becomes tangential to a circle of greater or less radius. A very fine adjustment of the size and intensity of the fire is effected` in this way; and the tangential flow'gives a whirling effect to the air stream, which hastens the ultimate mixing of the air and oil, and improves combustion. In some of my experiments, I have found that the largest-flame and best combustion occur, other things being equal, when the cylinder has been turned to an angle or about 10 from full port opening.

In the lclonstricted zone of the cylinder, there may be provided a. number of auxiliary air'passages 92. These passages admit sufficient air to effect complete combustion, while permitting the contracted throat to be made narrow enough to give eective entraining action. They may, however, be omitted in some circumstances.

Fire pot or fumace.

The fire ot here disclosed has enabled me to accomp ish remarkable results in the maintenance of a clear, bright fire with minimum consumption of fuel. Its 'important characteristics reside in the form yand arrangement of the passage through which the mixture of oil and air is conveyed.

Two forms of fire pot containing the essential characteristics, but differing in detail, are shown; one in Figures 5 to 8, and the other in Figures 9 to 13. In both, the passage referred to, designated 94, begins with an external orifice 95 in a vertical plane, which registers with the outlet from the burner; and extends from said orifice, with gradually enlarging transverse area on an upward slant and with s iral curvature, until it opens through the side of a cavity 96 in the top of the hre pot. Such cavity is open at the top, and is the outlet of the fire pot through which the hot flaming products of combustion issue to deliver heat where needed.

The differences between the two forms consist principally in the length of the wholly enclosed passage 94, between its external orifice and its opening into the side of the cavity. In that form shown in Figures 5 to 8, the passage is wholly enclosed from the entrance to about the point 97, at which point the lower part of the passage opens into the cavity, and its upper part is overhung and partially enclosed by a wall 98 and inner lip 99 on such wall. The inner edge of this wall forms one boundary of the orifice of cavity 96 and merges at the location 97 and 100 with theopposite bounding wall 101 of theV cavity; and the outer part of passage 94 likewise merges with wall 101 at the location 100. A gradual rise of the .lip 99 continues from 97 to 100 in the direction of iow of the gases; and through much of this distance, the width of the overhanging wall 98 is diminished.

In the form shown in Figures 9 to 13, the Wholly enclosed passage 94 extends for a greater distance, to a location indicated at 102, and enters the side of the cavity 96 by way of an opening 103. With this form, there is somewhat of a stream tlow of burning gases from the passage into the cavity, While in the form first described, the gases gradually flow from under the overhanging wall 98. In both forms, combustion begins in the enclosed passage, and com lete val.

porizaton of the oil, and mixture o oil with the air, take place there. According as the completely enclosed passage is longer or shorter, combustion is more or less complete before the gases reach the cavity and emerge from its orice. All the `air needed for combustion is supplied by the blower or compressor, under regulation by adjustment of the burner, and automatically maintained in correct roportion to the oil for high fire 0r low re, by the controller, as described. No additional air from outside the re pot is needed.

This fact is most important, that by the enclosing of the combustion passage, its enlarging transverse area and its upward trend to the final discharge orifice, all possibility is excluded of inert burned gas being mingled with the combustible mixture, but

the mixture fiows undiluted from the burner to the final discharge orifice, burnin in its course. Another important fact is t at the enclosing walls of the combustion passage absorb heat, with reverberatory effect on the gas stream, aiding in the rapid vaporization of the oil, preventing subsequent condensation of oil vapor, and preventing a low tire with being extinguished by accidental dilution from either an excess of outside air or inert products of combustion. These characteristics of the lire pot have enabled me to obtain remarkable etiiciency of combustion, to maintain either a high or a low fire with minimum consumption of fuel, and to maintain a minimum low fire without danger of accidental extinguishment.

Such tire pots may be made of any suitable refractory material, such as tire brick, tile, etc., and are preferably made with relatively thin walls surrounding the combustion passage in order that a considerable amount of the heat generated will be radiated from their outer surfaces. Such radiation both emits heat where it is needed, when the tire pot is put in the combustion chamber of a boiler, etc., and revents the inner walls of the lire pot from eing fused by the intense heat of combustion.

I have made the drawings accompanying this specification diagrammatic in character, because the essential principles of the invention may be embodied in a great many diverse arrangements, all within the scope of the protection which I claim. The fact that so large a part of the essential ap aratus consists of pipes and tubing enables the several elements to be located near together, or far from one. another and at various levels. Therefore, and because I have desired to make the drawings on as large a scale as possible consistent with the space limitations of the sheets, I have not attempted in these drawings to show the exact positions which the several parts occupy inthe actal installations where they have been use Q The various elements of the combined fire pot, burner, and regulator, all cooperate to 'produce an exceedingly eicient, economical and simple means for burning liquid fuel. A conspicuous advantage of the combination is that itcontains no valves requiring to be manipulated in the course of regular service in order to regulate and maintain the fire. For shutting down the fire, all that is necessary is to stop the operation of the air compressor, whereupon the supply of air and oil automatically ceases. It is safe on account of the automatic controls, which shut olf the oil to prevent flooding in all the circumstances where flooding is liable to occur. The action of the automatic safeguarding control is certain, inasmuch as it is governed by the pressure imposed on the air supplied Cil for Supporting combustion, and 'allows oil `to ow to the burner only when the air `presfuel and air'through the controlling and adjusting means hereinbefore described. I

wish to emphasize that I deliberately intro-` duce into the furnace, by mechanical means, oil and combustion-supporting air in correct proportions for complete combustion, and that with the variation in oil pressure and supply for high or low fire, the air vsupply is correspondingly varied .in correct proportion by automaticmechanical means; while different conditions (of environment of the burner and fire pot,'character and quality of the oil, air pressure'created, etc), may be compensated vfor by the adjustments provided 'for' at the burner. Given the correct proportions of oil and air, as thus provided for, the fire pot further conduces to efficiency of, combustion by maintaining these roportions while combustion proceeds, and

y conserving heat for vaporizing 'the oil, I have been able to maintain a minimum fire with substantially perfect combustion, without flickerino` and with a consumption of fuel as low atsthree-fourths of a pound of oil per hour; andythisin a fire ot large enough to generate heat under a boller sufficient for heating a large dwelling house. I have also started a fire in a cold fire pot, burmng oil at the rate of one pound per hour, and the fire was a ood one from the start, and brought the re pot up to red heat with perfect combustion. It will of course be evident that one of the conspicuous advantages of the invention Iis that a.V fire may be mamtained constantly vwith an expenditure -of fuel which is negligible, and from which the heat when at the lowest degree is not great enough to cause overheating of the boiler,

, but is enough to `keep ithwarm and prevent chilling. Thereby I amable to 4avoid the serious harmful effects which result from alternately extinguishingl and starting up a f yhot fire, which at the lowest maintainable minimum requires a large fuel consumption.

I also 'avoid the necessity of a gas pilot flame .andthe complication of means necessary to said casing, and having a port to register.

with said inlet, such cylinder having also an end wall provided -with a gfuideway, a fuel nozzle pipe slidingly fitted in said guideway, and a 'Venturi tube slidingly fttedandsuitably held in the outlet end of saidregulating cylinder.

, 2. A burner for fluid` fuel comprising a. casing open at both ends and having a lateral inlet, a cylindrical shell entering one open end of the casing andhaving an end wall at such end and a lateral ort adapted to register with said inlet, anti being open at the other end, a Venturi tube fitted in the open end of said shell, the shell being rotatably adjustable in and removable-endwise from the casingV and having a guideway in in said guideway andextending thence into ,and having a terminal orifice in the Venturi 4its end wall, and a fuel tube slidingly fitted other end, a Venturi tube fitted in the open end 0f said shell the shell being rotatably adjustable in and removable endwise from the casing and having a guideway in its end wall, a fuel tube sliding-ly Vfitted in said guideway and extending thence into and having a terminal orifice in the Venturi tube, an open sided frame or cage structure, connected with the outer end of said fuel tube,`a fuel conduit having a terminal piece .adapted to enter the side of said cage structure and formed to match the outer terminal of the bore ofsaid fuel tube, and a clamp arranged in said cage structure for securingsaid terminal piece in connection with the fuel tube.

4.y In an oil burner, a shell having alatera-l'- inlet, an end outlet, and an opposite end wall'havinga guideway, a fuel tube fitted slidingly in said guideway and adaptedto be withdrawn endwise therefrom, sa1d tube having a cage on its outer end open at one side and into which the bore `of said tube opens, an oil conducting pipe entering the side of said cage and having a terminal ieee which is adapted to be Withdrawn from the cage, said terminal piece being complemental to the endofthe bore of said tube, and a clamp screw fitted in the outer end of said cage and holding said terminal piece removably in connection with the tube.

5. In an oil burner, a casing having, a lateral air inlet and being open at both ends, a hollow cylinder open at one end and having a wall at its opposite end and a lateral port between its ends, fitting rotatably in said casing and being retractible from one open end thereof,`the port of said cylinder being arranged to register with said lateral inlet, or to be put more or less out 'of register therewith by rotation ofl the cylinder,

and said end wall having a passage way, a fuel tubefitted slidingly in said passage way and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom, the outer end of'said fuel tube having a cage into whichfitsbore opens, which ca e has a lateral opening, a fuel pipe exten in into said opening, a block on the end of sai pipe adapted to be passed through said opening, and having a passage which runs from the pipe to the side of the block Which faces toward ythe outer opening of said bore, said tube and block being complementally formed to make a fluid tight joint, and a screw mounted in the outer end of said ca e and engaging the block to hold it in tig t contact with the fuel tube.

6. In a heat generating apparatus, a furnace of refractory material having a cavity in its top, a lateral entrance, and an enclosed passage extending in a spiral course from said entrance to an outlet in the side of said cavity, combined with a burner having an outlet coupled to said entrance, and including a fuel nozzle directed to said outlet, a Venturi tube in the outlet surrounding the emission end of said nozzle, and having also an air inlet in advance of the outlet, means for delivering fluid fuel to said nozzle, means or delivering air under pressure to said air inlet, and regulating means for causing the fuel and air so delivered to be in proper proportions for combustion.

7. A furnace for combustion of oil having a spiral passage With an entrance at its lower end, such passage being entirely enclosed 'for a distance from said entrance and beingpartially enclosed for the balance of its extent; such partial closure existing at the outer side and at the top, of the passage, but the top closure being of progressively diminishing Width, and the furnace having a cavity in its top into which the partially enclosed passage opens laterally.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

CECIL W. STANCLIFFE. 

